Clipboard

Abstract

A pad is disclosed to assist a user to carry a number of small articles such as a mobile telephone, calculator, personal digital assistant etc. The pad, typically about the size of A4 paper, has a flat surface having plurality of magnets associated therewith. The magnets can be located beneath the surface of the pad protected by a layer of plastics material or can be flush with the surface. Typically, a magnet is disc-shaped but can also be in the form of a strip for particular uses. A bulldog clip or the like can be included in order to retain papers or forms on the pad. If necessary, a magnet or magnetizable element can be affixed to an article to be carried to provide the article with engagement with the magnets.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A hand-held portable device for transporting one or more articles, the device comprising a planar surface to receive items to be transported; a plurality of magnets, attached to or associated with said planar surface to hold said items against the device. 
     
     
         18 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein the planar surface comprises a plastics material allowing the surface to be easily cleanable and waterproof. 
     
     
         19 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein a magnet is located underneath the planar surface to protect the magnets from water and other harmful materials. 
     
     
         20 . A device according to  claim 18 , wherein each magnet is set into a plastics layer. 
     
     
         21 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein each magnet is set at a sufficient spaced apart distance from a neighboring magnet to enable a first article to be carried without interference from a second article. 
     
     
         22 . A device according to  claim 21 , wherein a magnet is located at each corner of a device. 
     
     
         23 . A device according to  claim 17 , having magnets of at least two different sizes. 
     
     
         24 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein one or more of the magnets is a strip magnet which hinders rotation of an article held on the device. 
     
     
         25 . A device according to  claim 17 , wherein the device includes one or more bulldog clips. 
     
     
         26 . A device according to  claim 17 , comprising a base layer, each magnet being adhered to the base layer, and a second layer overlaid over the base layer and sandwiching the magnets therebetween. 
     
     
         27 . A method of carrying by hand one or more articles, the method comprising the steps of selecting a transport device as described in Claim  17 , placing an article to be transported into close spatial relationship with a magnet of the device and releasing the article, allowing said article to be held against the device by magnetic attraction. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 27 , wherein an attraction element formed of a magnetic or magnetizable metal is affixed to an article prior to the article being brought into engagement with the device. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein an element is disc-shaped. 
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein an element is strip shaped. 
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the element includes an adhesive to enable the element to adhere to an article.